While he doesn't have details yet, Christensen says Utah can expect to see several high-profile visitors from abroad in the coming year.

Joe Reyna, chairman-elect of the Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Utah's only member of President Fox's Mexico Advisory Counsel, agrees that Utah could do better in trade with Mexico.

Reyna said Utah's estimated $111 million in trade with Mexico is "very low."

"Utah has a lot of technology to offer," Reyna said. "I think we have the potential, it's just that we haven't explored it."

Jimenez says his life has been a multicultural experience. His wife, Claudia, is a U.S. citizen. During his 30 years with the Mexican Foreign Service, Jimenez has served in several locations across Latin America.

Jimenez has worked in Washington, D.C. He comes to Utah directly from the world's largest Mexican consulate in Los Angeles, where he was deputy director.

He says that office serves an average of 1,000 people a day. He comes to a broader, but quieter, region. His staff of 16 is charged with protecting the interest of Mexican citizens in Utah, Idaho, Montana and western Wyoming.

"I am used to working hard," he says. "I will continue to work hard, and harder."

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E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com